Conventional image processing apparatuses such as an electronic camera which uses a memory card having a solid-state memory element as a recording medium, and records and plays back still and moving images require a higher exposure precision because the latitude of a solid-state image sensing element is much narrower than that of a film for a silver halide camera. To determine an accurate exposure value, the image processing apparatus performs very complicated calculation processing and requires a higher-precision stop and mechanical shutter than those of a silver halide camera.
This results in a long release time lag. The time lag is generally eliminated by performing photometry and high-precision exposure calculation when SW1 is pressed, and starting actual exposure immediately after SW2 is pressed. In practice, most photographers press the shutter switch by one stroke without any consciousness of SW1 and SW2. The photographer, therefore, feels that such a camera has a long time lag.
To shorten the time lag generated in photographing by pressing the shutter switch by one stroke, there has been provided a method of increasing the speed by decreasing the calculation count of an automatic exposure control means that is one of main factors contributing to the time lag.
When, however, the photographer presses the shutter switch by one stroke without any consciousness of SW1 and SW2, high-precision exposure control cannot be achieved by the method of increasing the speed by decreasing the calculation count of the automatic exposure control means.